The Unfortunate Angel
by Cryserena
Summary: A story of a girl called Ella Rose. She was never accepted as who she was and was never lucky... the angel of a girl who was never recognised for what she could be.
1. Infortune or Misfortune?

**Chapter 1 ~ In Fortune or Misfortune?**

Ella Rose was _never_ an ordinary girl. But, to understand Ella's unfortunate story you would need to understand Ella's childhood, even when she was born the _most_ unfortunate child anyone had ever seen, no one knew why...

Ella had long dark brunette hair with hints of black that fell from her head to her waist. It was always straight so she never needed anything to tame it. Although most peoples' hair is messy when they wake up, hers never was, it just hung as flat and straight as ever. Her eyes were indeed a strange and mysterious thing to see, though they were not widely spaced nor too close, it was the colour of them that entranced people. They were dark brown flecked with shades of tan and the usual colour of obsidian that would make her eyes appear as if she were never always there. Her eyes would change frequently. One day she could have black eyes then the next a light auburn the colour changing with her mood. Many children thought that she was a witch so they steered clear from her or anything to do with her. All the same they were curious about Ella but that curiosity was well contained and they still kept away from her.

She was an orphan who had been abandoned more times _than all the birthdays in a year_! No foster parents liked her: her with a tendency for near death experiences. Although she was a kind sweet girl, no one was willing to foster her for very long, not after they found out her secret. Not a single day passed without a near death experience. Once when she was a very young baby she was almost crushed to death by a bookcase! It was fortunate that the minder noticed what was about to happen and moved Ella before it crushed her, though she quit the job soon after, unwilling to be near Ella. She could be considered lucky if you thought about all the times she survived and the different experiences she had but it seemed that all the experiences she had been to do with death. What an unfortunate child she was!

At the age of thirteen she was just about fed up. Fed up of the same dank orphanage, which she was always sent back to, fed up of it all, but most especially fed up with _'her curse'_, as she called it. She'd never really had a friend, not even a close friend to confide in, not one. All the other children were wary of her and afraid to come near her for the fear of them being next, next to die...


	2. Newcomer

**Chapter 2 ~ Newcomer**

The only person who had been brave enough to try to befriend her was a young girl called Skye Evans. Everyone else was wary of being near Ella, as she was _always_ in the wrong place at the wrong time. Skye was a sweet girl and kind hearted, practically everyone liked her. She was of a small stature with a heart shaped face: she had the palest silvery blond hair that fell in loose waves to her waist and baby blue eyes flecked with grey, which would change the colour of her eyes - according to her mood. She was easily mistaken for an angel, in the way she was normally dressed. With her perfect fair skin, unmarked by wrinkle creases or frown lines, and a clear complexion, her nickname _was_ Angel. She normally dressed in a slightly shimmery white dress and she wore glistening white dolly shoes. It was just ill-fated for her to befriend Ella...

The first day of their friendship was a tentative one and it all started a week after Skye had transferred to the state high school in Forks, Washington from her former home in England. Skye's father, a technician, had a transfer from his job in England to the main part of the company he worked for in Seattle to smooth over all the problems that were cropping up there. Skye, who had a naturally bubbly, fun kind of personality, was quickly accepted by the whole school and made to feel at home. There was never a shortage of people wanting to guide Skye to her next lesson and never a shortage of people wanting to be her friend: so that was how her first week went, feeling at home and content. It was then that Skye began to notice things...

Skye was walking to Maths with a group of new friends, only too willing to guide her to the next lesson, when she noticed a girl, separated from the rest, with an air of loneliness about her. Skye pitied the poor girl, but was curious about her, so she questioned the girl next to her,

"Who is she, that girl over there with the long dark hair and pale skin?"

"Oh, her... That's Ella Rose; she is an accident magnet, a misfit if you wish. She is incredibly anti-sociable and terribly shy. She was an orphan since birth. No one knew her parents or where she came from she was just left at the orphanage, by the front door, in a basket of blankets, you know, like a picnic basket." Then the girl, fearing that she said too much, abruptly shut up. For her father was the person who owns the orphanage: she wasn't supposed to know any of this, it was only by accident that she overheard her parents argue about whether Ella should be kept at the orphanage or not.

Skye's compassionate heart bled for Ella. Imagine _not having _or even _knowing_ your parents?! She detached herself from her group of friends and started to walk towards Ella. When the group noticed her intention they were immediately silent, watching her every move. They daren't stop her for she was already too close to Ella, for their comfort, so they just watched at a distance fearful for Skye.

As Skye approached the girl she looked up with fear and apprehension in her eyes.

"Hi, my name is Skye. What's yours?" (Putting out her hand to be shook.)

"M-my name is Ella..." (Taking her hand with trembling fingers)

They shook hands and through that a mutual respect and liking was formed between them and that was the beginning of their friendship.

"How are you?"

"I-I'm fine thanks, you?"

"I'm extremely happy. Who've you got now?"

"Umm... I've got Miss Kanza in Maths."

"Oh wow, me too! Maybe would could sit by each other!"

Skye's enthusiastic personality was enough to set Ella at ease: she hadn't found out about Ella's secret, not yet... So they walked together to Miss Kanza's classroom for Maths and for the first time in her life Ella felt hope. Hope that she would have a new friend, close friend someone that she could confide in and who wouldn't be harmed or terrified by her secret. Meanwhile the group that Skye was with were astounded but they were nervous too. Nervous for Skye and hoping, praying that she wouldn't be next. Wishing, wishing that she wouldn't get in too deep.


	3. Unbidden Thoughts

**Chapter 3 ~ Unbidden Thoughts**

As it turned out they did sit next to each other in Miss Kanza's Math lesson. Both were happy with each other's company and glad for a new friend. For Skye it was a new experience, to help someone more in need of a friend than she was. For Ella it was a chance to experience friendship, for the once and only time in her life... Both had similar interests and liked similar things. They talked for quite a bit while they worked in the lesson and were talking on familiar terms and Skye gave Ella permission to call her by her nickname.

When the bell went for the end of the lesson/ start of lunch, Ella started the conversation. She felt more confidence in herself and her ability to keep a friend. Little did she know how wrong she was... It was walking to the cafeteria when Ella questioned,

"Will you sit with me today for lunch, Angel?" Though Ella, to a great extent, tried to contain it, there was still a hint of desperation she felt in her voice.

"I'm so very sorry I can't, I promised Lucinda that I would sit with her today... Maybe you could join us?"

Ella froze and recoiled back into her emotionless shell, with the expression on her face fixed, at the mention of Lucinda. It was _certain_ that Lucinda would inform Skye of her secret and Ella doubted that she would have Skye for a friend for very long.

Lucinda Maybry was the girl who had bullied Ella ever since her first 'accident' nearly involved her. Her father, a well known and respected lawyer, almost encouraged Lucinda's bullying and advised the teachers not to do anything about it, if they knew what was good for them. For he was a great friend of the head teacher, and he was also on the board of school governors that looked after the legal side of things to make sure that the school didn't cross over to the wrong side of the law. Ella tried very hard to prevent any sign of pain showing through her expression, though while she was doing so the unwelcome memories rose to haunt her and take her back to that disastrous day. Although it was almost a year ago, the memory was poignant as if it had happened yesterday. (Up until this point Ella's secret was well kept and few people knew about it. Others only knew that the frequency of injuries that Ella got was because she was notoriously clumsy and an accident magnet, which certainly wasn't a good combination in her case.) It was that horrifying memory of how close to dying she was and when she almost took another with her in the cold grasp of death.


	4. Good Friends?

**Chapter 4 ****Part 1 ~ Good Friends?**

It was Ella's first day of a new school year, she was in Grade/Year 1, and she was walking home with Lucinda, who lived not far away from the orphanage and she offered to walk with Ella as she didn't want her dad to pick her up. They weren't always enemies, but not ever friends; just they treated each other with common courtesy. Lucinda wasn't scared of Ella just wary of her in case she injured her by accident. They were okay with each other's company and still felt some of the excitement of their first day of school.

The school was situated near the forest so that the edge of the school yard touched the forest. It had been a hectic day finding the way around the school, meeting new teachers and settling in to school life once again but Ella had got through it without much trouble, a lot less than usual at any rate, and was feeling that it was her lucky day.

When passing the age old oak tree in the school yard, no one knew how old that oak tree was it just seemed to have lasted through many ages - according to the elder's it was ancient and had been there for practically forever, they noticed a small pool of clear-looking water. It wasn't very small but at the angle the girls looked at it light bounced off its surface throwing about mini rainbows. Both were entranced by the sight and loved water so they agreed to go have a closer look.

It was just unlucky that there was a broken wire nearby coming closer to the girls, as if death commanded that it should. The girls were too distracted by the water and the mini rainbows bouncing off its surface to notice the broken wire: no one noticed that the pylon was broken and the wire still had an electric current flowing through it just waiting to be unleashed. Almost silently the wire drew inexorably closer to the unsuspecting girls, who were captivated by the pool's mini phenomenon.

Suddenly, there was a rustle in the grass which caught the girls' attention, and that was all that was needed to break the spell the pool had cast upon them. Both Ella and Lucinda froze wondering whether their minds were playing tricks on them. In Ella's mind there was a small voice screaming for her to run. Ella also had a very bad feeling that something unpleasant was going to happen in the not too distant future...

The goings on in Lucinda's mind was on a similar subject to Ella's but on the opposite end of the stick. She thought that her dad was checking up on her and felt no fear, even though there was a small voice of common sense trying to tell her that her dad wouldn't creep up on her. That she quickly shut up, assuming that her dad hadn't wanted her to know about it so she decided that she would inform him that night when he got back from work that she'd found him out.

Both looked at each other for confirmation on their decision to stay and decided that it was a small rodent hiding in the grass. Neither realised that it wasn't a rodent or animal for that matter it was the broken wire getting closer and closer to them with every second that past. When they turned their attention back to the pool the mini phenomenon had finished and it no longer held their attention so they began to walk back to the path, they didn't realise that with every step they took it brought them closer to the highly charged broken wire. While Lucinda's mind was free from any diversion it was not so in Ella's case. She was still fretting over what the rustling the grass was. She felt pretty sure that it wasn't good and resisted the temptation to run like the small voice in her head was screaming at her to do. So instead she stopped, while putting a temporary halt to the errant thoughts in her head, to question Lucinda and put her fears into words,

"Lucinda, I believe you are going to think me very silly for saying this but I'm going to say it anyway."

"Say what?"

"I don't mean to frighten you or anything so I'll-"

*sigh*"Come on Ella just spit it out! Stop sidetracking yourself with inane words!"

"What does inane mean?" (Lucinda only knew the word inane because her father had said it.)

"Never mind... Just come right out with it!"

"Oh, right... yeah, okay... Well, I was thinking about the grass rustling and I just thought that it really didn't seem like a rodent. You know, with the grass rustling that much I think it must have been something rather different... something quite a bit bigger..."

"Come now, Ella listen to me and please don't interrupt, I think that you are letting your imagination-"

"But-"

"No, I said listen and don't interrupt. As I was saying, I feel that you are letting your imagination run wild on something that truly wasn't important, okay?" Lucinda was never going to reveal what was really going through her mind. She felt ashamed about her father not trusting her with Ella because it showed a lack of trust in her that she really didn't want anyone to know...

"Yeah, okay. If you really think that then fine...."

"Yes I really think that," Lucinda replied in a flat tone.

Ella could see that something had upset her and decided that she would ask her what was wrong. After the words had formed in her head, something warned her that Lucinda didn't want to talk about it so Ella wisely kept silent; the words were left unspoken on her lips, leaving Lucinda to mull over her unpleasant thoughts. Ella didn't really know why but she had the feeling that she wouldn't want to know what was wrong with Lucinda. They walked a bit further in silence and on Lucinda's part she was grateful that Ella didn't decide to pry and that Ella had kept silent so that she could think clearly over everything her father had said about Ella last night...


	5. Shocking!

**Chapter 4 Part 2 ~ Shocking?!**

Abruptly Ella froze on the spot with a strange expression on her face which gradually turned to horror as the knowledge of what was going to happen made itself clear to her. Lucinda was worried, though she'd never admit it, what was wrong with Ella? What Lucinda hadn't noticed was the broken wire that lay across the road coming closer to them; this was because with all the dark thoughts on her mind she wasn't being very observant. Lucinda, unwise and vain as she was, stepped in front of Ella to question her: unfortunately for her she stood in between Ella and the highly charged wire. The wire was now almost right behind Lucinda and Ella was frozen with terror. Rendered immobile, and unable to tell Lucinda to turn around, Ella stood and watched in horror. It was as if her mind was not connected her body; even though there were mini alarms sounding in her head screeching at her to run.

Lucinda was about to speak when suddenly the silence was cut thorough by an ear piercing, blood curdling scream. Ella's vocal cords had returned and she was screaming at Lucinda to run but Lucinda was too preoccupied by the expression on Ella's face. The scream had made all the hairs on the back of Lucinda's neck rise and had sent a shiver down her spine also the words that she was about to say had took up too much of her attention and made all the words that Ella was screaming incoherent and incomprehensible to her. Lucinda was in something of a daze when the meaning of the words that Ella was screaming pierced through her numbed sense and gave her something to fear. Without a second thought she turned around to see if she could see what Ella was so horrified about...

Lucinda first saw nothing so her expression changed from looking genuinely worried to incredulous. She started to wonder what Ella was looking so terrified about, then, when she took another look, she saw the wire. She turned back to Ella and was about to say what's so scary about the wire, when she realised that the wire wasn't there last time she looked, but deciding that it was just because she hadn't noticed it before. After she realised this she heard the sound of the grass rustling. Just as she turned, the wire moved so she thought that her eyes were playing tricks on her. After pondering this thought, she noticed that the wire was on her leg. The electricity coursed through her veins causing her to scream in agony and fall to the ground from the sheer pain of it and the amount of electricity she absorbed went into the earth.

Ella watched horror-struck as the pained expression transformed Lucinda's face and she watched Lucinda's body writhing on the ground in sheer agony. She knew that she had to help somehow but wasn't sure what to do. She'd made up her mind that if Lucinda stayed like that for much longer she would die, in agony, so Ella decided that she would get the wire off her. When she came to that decision, she came across another obstacle: how would she get the wire off Lucinda's leg without injuring herself?

Ella sprinted to a nearby tree sapling and wrenched off a long thin branch too free Lucinda from the wire. She approached Lucinda with caution and she tried to flick the wire off Lucinda but the electricity then sparked and hit Ella so she dropped the branch and fell back from the shock of it. The wire had missed its original target and it was now going for Ella as if it were demented. Ella's fall had winded her and she was recovering from it when she noticed the wire coming towards her faster than she believed an inanimate object could move. Before she could move, the wire had coiled around her leg and it restricted the movement that she could make. Ella gave a cry for help when she realised what danger she was in and then the pain started blocking everything out.

Lucinda, after first feeling relief from the pain she had endured, heard Ella's scream. There was no faster cure for the shock, of all she had endured, than that. Without thinking what she was doing, she darted over to Ella and, with her bare hands, wrenched the wire off Ella and threw it somewhere into the distance. She barely felt the sting from the electricity, as it was so short and brief, that it was nothing compared to the pain and torture she saw on Ella's face.

Lucinda started to think in a twisted and bitter way so the first comprehensible thought that she had was that Ella was a witch. Lucinda also had the idea that Ella was only acting to make it seem like she wasn't a suspect, Lucinda also started to believe that Ella had cast a spell on the wire so it looked like it was coming after her but really it was just to kill herself. When these thoughts darkened the look on Lucinda's face Ella decided to ask her what was wrong. Then Lucinda's face paled in shock as she thought that last thought and Lucinda stared in disgust at Ella's face. Lucinda abruptly put as much space between them as possible the sprinted away screaming one word... witch...

Lucinda had told her father about what had happened that day and the reasons for why she looked like she did and her father was so furious that he rang the headmaster to tell him to get Ella kicked out of the school but the headmaster refused by saying that it would be bad for the reputation of the school then hung up. Both Ella and Lucinda had almost been to the brink of death that day and rumours were rapidly passed though the school that Ella was a witch and everyone, even the teachers, steered clear of her... Lucinda's pained face gave Ella many nightmares for many months after that incident had happened, as did Ella's give Lucinda, so the bitterness and animosity between them grew to an open hatred that everyone supported...


	6. Bitter Pills

**Chapter 5 ~ Bitter Pills**

"Ella! Hello?! Is anyone there?" Skye said to Ella waving her hand in front of Ella's face. Ella shook herself trying to rid herself of the memory that had just played through her mind.

"Sorry, I was just daydreaming..."

"Anyway, like I was saying before, why don't you join us?"

"No! ...Sorry but I genuinely don't like Lucinda..."Ella replied bitterly. Ella saw no point to hiding what she felt about Lucinda since Skye would find out soon anyway...

"Why don't you like Lucinda? I always thought that she was a genuinely kind sweet person."

"Look Angel, why don't _you_ go and ask _Lucinda_ about this since you think she's such a _kind sweet person_? I feel sick talking about it, okay?" Ella hated herself because she assumed that she would upset Skye by talking like that to her. Before Skye could tell how hurt Ella was, she ran off to the only solitary place she could go and it was only then that Ella let the tears she kept hidden so well fall silently down her cheeks.

If anything Skye was shocked not upset. She was also curious at what could produce such hatred in the sensitive thoughtful girl she knew? Puzzled, Skye made her way down to the cafeteria, by now the corridors were empty as it was quite a bit into lunch. When Skye entered the cafeteria the whole room fell silent and everyone was watching her. In the corner of her eye she saw Lucinda with a group of friends in the corner of the cafeteria and Skye made her way over to her. By now, through words transferred by mouth to ear, from the group Skye was with, it had got round the whole school that Skye was friends with Ella and that was something that was considered to be taboo.

As Skye reached Lucinda a girl at the table sneered,

"Why aren't you staying with that witch Ella you witch loving Angel?!"

Lucinda simply glared at the girl and gave Skye a falsely sweet smile then said in a sugar sweet voice with a hint of steel,

"Be quiet Carrie! Let Angel sit down and join us for lunch and then tell us all of the curses and evil things that the witch has been saying about us."

Skye immediately recognised the girl, who had first told her about Ella so she replied cuttingly,

"If that's anything to go by I'm not surprised that Ella doesn't like you! She is the shyest person I have met and you think that helps? She is also kind-hearted, caring, sensitive and thoughtful which is more than what I could say for you, _Carrie_."

Carrie, hearing the remark, blushed uncomfortably and tried to hide the hurt in her expression. Skye, seeing that hurt, felt glad that she had defended Ella for there was some malicious pleasure in doing that.

"That must have been a very _revealing_ conversation, Angel. I wonder... will you tell us anything else you found out?" Lucinda stated and questioned, showing her curiosity. Skye quickly cut in before Carrie could rejoin the conversation,

"Oh, it was _very_ revealing you could _even_ go as far as to say an _eye-opening experience_. She told me plenty of things, like that you and her used to be friends?" Skye was bluffing this part but she had hit a nerve because Lucinda started to blush uncomfortably as well. Skye, feeling a minute bit of triumph from seeing Lucinda squirm awkwardly, thought that Lucinda owed it to Ella for causing so much pain and segregation for whatever Ella had done. Surely nothing that Ella had done was that bad? _Everyone_, in the cafeteria, was listening intently to this conversation and watching their reactions very carefully, including the teachers, though they pretended not to!

Skye came to the decision that she would break friends with Lucinda and become better friend to Ella, but, not before she found out her little mystery... There was silence while she was coming to this decision but then, after that period of silence, everyone started to talk again as they assumed that everything that was exciting had finished.


	7. The Test of Truths

**Chapter 6 ~ Test of Truths**

Skye sat down at the table next to Lucinda as the group had parted to make space for her. It was natural, for a person of Skye's nature, to feel guilty for saying and doing the things that she just did, but, after a short moment of regret, she pushed it quickly from her mind as she had more important things to plan... Skye ate her lunch in contemplative silence, thinking about how she would introduce such a topic and get the answers she wanted. In the end, she decided to be blunt and assertive to make sure that there were no misunderstandings. She would have a little small talk with Lucinda to make everyone think that she was talking unimportant matters to Lucinda. After doing that she decided, under the cover of the conversation on the table, she would introduce the topic and get the answers she wanted. Satisfied with her planning she slowly finished her lunch dragging out for as long as she could.

When Skye had finished her lunch she turned to talk to Lucinda and set her plan into motion. They started to talk about how well their lessons had gone so far, which when they did everyone at the table stopped to listen to what they were saying. After about five minutes of chitchat between Lucinda and Skye, everyone at the table concluded that they were not going to say anything intriguing so they went back to their conversations. Skye, who was watching everyone while not appearing to do so, decided that now was a better time than any so she launched into her plan with full steam. To say that Lucinda was surprised was an understatement. Lucinda was completely shocked and it took five minutes of explaining from Skye to get Lucinda's mind up to date with the question that Skye had asked. When that did happen, Lucinda's face turned blank as she tried to compose herself for the answer that surely would keep Skye away from Ella.

"She's a witch that's why! She almost killed me on our first day back at school, when I was five!" Lucinda stated her answer with a slight hint of hysteria. Skye was shell-shocked, but recovered rapidly and decided that Ella couldn't possibly be a witch and that she was too kind and too thoughtful of others for that. Skye, realising that Lucinda didn't want her to be Ella's friend, thought that it was both cruel and despicable for her to be so foul to and about Ella...


	8. The Last Promise

**Chapter 7 ~ The Last Promise**

While Skye was having these revelations, Ella was trying, ineffectively, to forget about the whole incident. She was hiding in a secluded area that few people knew about behind the school. She was mopping up her tears when the bell rang for the end of lunch. She trudged up to her next lesson and managed to only just get through it without bursting into tears. If the teacher's noticed her puffy red eyes, then they made no move to comfort her or make anything easier for her...

The last lesson dragged and Ella thought that she wasn't going to make it, when the bell went. Saved by the bell, how ironic! Ella quickly gathered all her things together and ran out the classroom; before anybody else was ready. Many people looked at her as she ran past. The crowds in the corridors parted to let her run through but the moment she left there were whispers about her and Skye. As soon as Ella reached the school gates she couldn't keep her tears locked up any longer and they fell freely from her cheeks to the ground. Ella was also slightly annoyed with herself too, for giving into those tears again.

That was how Skye found her. A lonely figure in the distance and it reminded her so much of their first meeting that she had a strong sense of _déjà vu_. Skye called out to Ella for her to wait until she reached her. Feeling a relief that Ella did wait for her, she was glad that she chose Ella over Lucinda but that sense of happiness was quickly lost with one look at Ella face. Ella's face was streaked with tears; her mysterious eyes were vast pools of hurt brimming with salt water and her eyelids were red and puffy, a sure sign that she had been crying a lot. This made Skye hate herself for being the cause of that hurt and she swore to herself that she would make it better somehow...

She started on this promise by asking if she could walk home with her. Ella accepted but she was wary of Skye. Ella impatiently dashed away her useless tears and set off with Skye on the same path that Lucinda and she had took over 7 years ago...


	9. Angel of Death

**Chapter 8 ~**** Angel of Death**

While walking home they didn't notice that they were being followed by a cloaked figure who kept to the shadows, and this figure was the assassin that the town police had been searching for... The locals had come up with a nickname for him the 'Black Panther.' This was because all his victims had scars. Scars that looked as if a panther had scratched them, and there was always that 1 fatal wound, a dagger wound to the heart...

All the assassin knew was that he must kill Ella, those were instructions his boss had sent him. The boss's words were, to be exact, 'Kill Ella Rose. No matter what the cost... She is a larger danger to mankind than we'd thought. Recently, we have been monitoring her through the words of a trustworthy contact (Mr Maybry) and the words of the local high school headmaster. It seemed that she wasn't going to be much trouble until we found out that she had started to make a friend with the daughter of a loyal client of ours. Now you know what you must do so go to it. '

The cloaked figure was no older than 16, although his height gave some people reason to believe that he was older, which wasn't true. Until this day, he had no real idea who Ella Rose was, or what she looked like, all he knew was that she attended the state school of Forks. When he'd heard Ella's name being called out he couldn't believe his luck, only he didn't realise how troublesome this case was going to prove...

He followed the two girls down the same path, only he kept to the shadows of the forest edge which was nearby the path. The first glimpse of the two girls made him come to the decision that he was going to have to distract the one who he wasn't after, but first he was going to have to work out who was who? He listened intently to the conversation and the first answer that Ella said made him realise that she was the person he had been looking for in his job. Inside his worn cloak he had a dagger concealed which was what he now reached for.

Coming almost silently behind the two girls, he now realised how old they were. Both of the girls were only 13, just coming into the phase of turning into an adult. He could see Skye clearly and the first thought that came into his head, after that first glance, was that she was an angel... He shook his head to clear it and when he tried to see Ella's face he couldn't. Her long dark straight hair kept him from seeing her face and he felt slightly annoyed at that, though he didn't know why, it was as if she was trying to hide herself from him...

He crept around the edge of the trees while deciding he would play a lonely lost traveller that was asking them for directions. He saw a turn in the path and decided instantly that it would be there where they should meet him; after all he knew they were still quite far away from any help they could run to...

He waited at the corner for the girls and he wasn't disappointed they came round the corner a few minutes after he arrived. The first glance at Ella's face proved to be a fatal shock for him it was the most beautiful face he had seen, even with the tears and puffy red eyelids, it just seemed to enhance her unearthly beauty. In that instant, that seemed to last for an eternity, he knew he couldn't kill Ella. She was the only one for him, yet he had to kill her, and it tore him up inside knowing what he was going to do to her. In an attempt to compose himself, he asked the girls where he was and tried to get directions into town from them.


	10. Red Blossoms of Pain

**Chapter 9 ~ Red Blossoms of Pain**

Ella had a similar shock herself. The boy had good looks and good manners and it seemed as if it was fated that they should meet. Only she didn't realise how true this was... Although Ella was too distracted by her thoughts, to notice what was happening, Skye wasn't. She was suspicious of the boy for his cool attitude and he was much too tense to be a lost traveller. She shoved Ella out the way as she saw the shinning blade of the dagger inching closer, and closer, to Ella. Skye gasped as she took a step back but she wasn't quick enough to avoid the cold metallic cruel edge of the dagger; he lunged for her in the blink of an eye with a fury that was barely suppressed. As the dagger struck Skye he twisted it, though it was unnecessary. The dagger struck Skye straight through the heart... A crimson red flower started to blossom from the hilt of the dagger, that was protruding from Skye's chest. This pulled Ella out of her train of thought and brought her back to reality in an instant. She quickly stifled her scream when she saw Skye lips move.

"Run Ella! Run..." Ella wouldn't leave Skye, she didn't care if she was killed it was nothing compared to the pain she now felt. It was as though it couldn't have happened, as though it was not real. It just couldn't have happened, not now, not right now... As Skye last breath left her body Ella crumpled down beside her and burst into tears. She grabbed Skye lifeless body to her and started to go slightly hysterical. Ella tore the dagger out and threw it somewhere into the distance. The blood was staining Skye's white dress and Ella's white blouse. All Ella could say was these few words said over and over again like an incantation,

"No Skye... No, you can't go, not now, not while we're this young! You have to live! Don't leave me alone in this world, please... Skye... No, please... I beg you Skye... Don't die on me..."


	11. Spirit Bound Mountain

**Chapter 10**** ~ Spirit Bound Mountain**

The boy, after witnessing this heart wrenching scene for a few moments, felt wretched. He had taken the life from the _only_ friend of the single person he could _ever_ love. He left to find the dagger and to kill himself as repentance for what he did. He knew that he wouldn't be able to live with himself after that...

After what had seemed like an age, Ella came to terms with what had happened. By now it was twilight, the ending of the day and the coming of the night, but before the darkness overcame Ella's resolve, she knew what she wanted to do, what she felt she must to do. She slowly stood, placing Skye's body gently on the cold earth, and walked to the orphanage blindly, as if hoping for an answer that would never come, and climbed into her room silently. Her clothes looked so macabre and blood stained also she didn't want to frighten anyone... Not anymore...

Not caring for the few things she had and she took her only real possession, which meant something to her. It was a battered teddy bear that had seen better days, and although she had no real memory of who gave it to her, it was special in a way that cannot be described, only felt. She then climbed out of her window, so as not to accidently frighten anyone, and took the path to the mountains hoping she would be able to reach heaven that way, and meet Skye once again...

Many years after Ella had left, the locals tell their own story of her. They call her The Unfortunate Angel. She was the girl who had the sweetest and most thoughtful disposition but was rejected by all through misunderstanding and bad luck. Some say her spirit comes down from the mountains, once every year on the day of Skye's death, to haunt the villagers and to punish them for what they did to her. Some say that she haunted Lucinda all her life so that Lucinda ended up in a mental asylum as atonement for what she did. But, I guess we'll never know the truth, whether she did get her happy ever after or that everlasting peace that had been evading her...


End file.
